Stichting Natuur en Milieu
For a beautiful and healthy world

Introducing Stichting Natuur en Milieu

Independent
Stichting Natuur en Milieu, The Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment, is an independent environmental organization committed to securing a healthy natural environment. We are helping to build a sustainable society in which nature, the environment and the landscape are treated with care and respect.

We want a world in which we can enjoy nature close to home, a world in which we can breathe clean air and travel without harming the environment or other people. Open landscapes, unspoilt views, liveable neighbourhoods in sustainable cities, health; these are subjects that affect us all. These are the fragile values we seek to protect, for present and future generations.

What we do
Our main strength lies in influencing the policy-making process. We conduct publicity campaigns and stimulate discussion and debate. We also conduct research and publish our findings. We mobilize public opinion and put pressure on key policymakers in the field of nature and environment to make sustainability a cornerstone of policy and legislation, at the European, national and local levels.

Our staff can be found in Brussels and The Hague. We speak with politicians and policymakers, entrepreneurs, scientists, journalists and opinion leaders. We helped to make energy conservation a higher priority on the political agenda. We lobbied and mobilized public opinion to improve policies and regulations that make the air we breathe cleaner, both locally, nationally and internationally.

Coalitions
When necessary, we turn to the courts, but we prefer cooperating with others to find solutions. Our strength lies in our extensive network and our ability to bring key figures from different sectors together. We build coalitions and work on concrete proposals, and are increasingly being asked to sit at the negotiating table. This approach requires persistence and considerable expertise.

Stichting Natuur en Milieu is part of a network with the 12 provincial environmental federations in The Netherlands. In addition, we coordinate the Strategic Council of close to 30 national organizations, including the Society for the Preservation of Nature in The Netherlands, Friends of the Earth Netherlands, Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Beyond borders
Environmental problems do not respect national borders; our task does not end with keeping the Netherlands clean and green. European legislation has become increasingly important for Dutch national policies. In fact, 75% of all environmental legislation emanates from Brussels. Since the 1990s we have focussed our activities on European affairs and our staff are active in Brussels, but we also put considerable effort into generating more attention for EU matters in The Netherlands. By keeping track of European developments we are able to make our views known to the government, Members of Parliament and the press.

Europe
The European issues we cover include energy, road transport, fertilizer policies, pesticides and waste management. We lobby in Brussels for a sustainable agricultural policy, and, with our partner organization the EEB (European Environmental Bureau), we argue the case for the original reform plans, which would shift support payments from production to nature and landscape conservation.

In our European Jobs or Roads project we demonstrated that building more roads does not always lead to more employment. Making EU policy greener is the ultimate goal of all our European efforts, both in European legislation and in the implementation of EU policy in The Netherlands.

Thanks to our efforts, the right of access to information on environmental legislation, emissions data and water quality has been established in a European treaty – a ‘Freedom of Information Act’ for environmental issues. If you have questions about the emissions of your local linoleum factory or the water quality at your holiday resort, you need only pay a modest fee to get the answers you seek. The treaty also guarantees access to the courts and public participation in decision-making processes.

Globally active
Stichting Natuur en Milieu is increasingly focussing its attention on global problems. We have made the issue of climate change a priority, along with its relation to energy demand and the ecological impact of Dutch manufacturers and consumers. In order to find solutions to global sustainability issues, we dedicate ourselves to influencing Dutch and EU policies and the conduct of Dutch companies operating abroad. For the sake of efficiency, we often form coalitions with other NGOs.

Organization
Stichting Natuur en Milieu consists of about 80 enthusiastic professionals, all working for a sustainable society. We operate in three teams: Spatial Planning and Mobility, Nature and Agriculture, and Climate and Economy. Each team contains staff with legal and communication expertise, and because our work transcends purely national affairs each team also contains experts on EU matters. Two units support the work of the three teams: Communication and Strategy and Internal Affairs.

Our work is made possible by financial support from the Dutch government and gifts and donations from individuals, charitable foundations and a number of companies. Since 1997 we have been receiving support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery.

Staff member specialized in European/international affairs:

• Jacomijn Pluimers